“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
Have you ever felt like you needed to earn approval from, maybe, a parent, a boss, a spouse, or a friend? You hoped they would see your worth? Now, how about we expand our imagination and ponder trying the same to earn God’s love.
One of the most frustrating things in life is trying to get someone’s appreciation or approval.
Many of us think we need to be good enough, or even perfect, for God to love us. But in this single, powerful verse in Romans 5:8, the Apostle Paul reveals the depth of God’s love in a way that shatters the idea that we need to be perfect. God didn’t wait for us to become good, holy, or deserving. He didn’t postpone His love until our behaviour improved or our hearts softened. He didn’t love us because we earned it. He loved us when we were at our worst. He demonstrated — proved — His love at the very moment when we were the most unworthy: “…while we were still sinners.”
Before we did anything to deserve this love, God sent Jesus to die for us. The cross was not God’s response to our goodness or a love we earn; it was His answer to our need and a love that’s freely given – the greatest and the most sacrificial.
Romans 5:8 reminds us that God’s love is not conditional but is anchored in grace. It confirms we are loved completely, intentionally, and eternally by the God Who gave His Son while we were still sinners. The cross is God saying, “I choose you,” not because of who you are, but because of Who He is. Be reassured that if God loved us then, He surely loves us now. We don’t have to fight for His approval; we already have it because His love came first to us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your everlasting love, which endures forever. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for us while we were still lost in sin. Help us, oh God, to truly understand and believe that Your love for us is real and consistent. Teach us to accept Your love with a grateful heart and to share this very love with others. In Jesus’ precious name! Amen.
Read: Romans 5:5; Romans 8:35
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 22:22-31; Mark 3:31-35; Mark 4:1-29; Exodus 23; Exodus 24